Chapter 58: Temptation

……

So warm.

The soft quilt gave Su Mian the illusion of being back home.

Sage incense swirled around the girl's nose tip; her eyelashes trembled as she struggled to open her eyes.

The gaze fixed on the brick‑red floor tiles, eyelids lifting; the walls bore a beige stone texture, and beyond the glass‑patterned window lay an oak forest.

The warmth almost made Su Mian think she had already reached Paradise, when a voice from 4399 suddenly sounded in her ear.

【Wooo, Mian Mian, you finally woke up, you scared me to death.】

Where am I?

【You were taken away by the Priest, and now you're in the neighboring Sanatorium.】

Su Mian's eyelids twitched; rescuing someone is rescuing, so why must they use the words "taken away."

A clatter came from the doorway; she twisted her hand, and Su Mian immediately guessed who it was, frantically lifting the quilt to look for her veil.

"Looking for this? My dear Evelyn."

Gai Yin had entered at some point without Su Mian noticing; she turned slowly, and the man stood at the bedside, holding her veil.

Su Mian reached out to take it, but the hand withdrew a bit, and a deep yet gentle laugh sounded in her ear.

"The little lamb I raised with my own hands not only didn't leave voluntarily, but now has become so rude."

Since Su Mian didn't get the veil, she didn't intend to entangle herself; after all, her identity had already been seen through, so wearing it or not made no difference.

Just as she was about to sit back on the bed, someone lifted her by the hips with one hand; Su Mian let out a startled cry, her elbow scrambling to Gai Yin's shoulder.

"Hmm… you've had quite a few hardships."

He whispered, cradling the girl in his arms, two fingers lifting her small face for close inspection, seeing clearly the bluish‑black under Su Mian's eyes and the dark blood in her neck.

"We haven't met in so long, why have you stopped smiling?"

Su Mian turned her face away to struggle free, her palm pushing the man's arm, her cold feet kicking wildly in her trousers, causing the sheet to form slight wrinkles.

The rebellious hand was quickly clamped by Gai Yin.

"Enough, my dear."

His tone, a bit deeper than before, carried a faint chill as he lightly patted the girl's back, pushing her into his own embrace.

The intimacy was like a whisper between lovers.

"Your body was given by the Lord, understand?"

His fingertips slid down Su Mian's spine, rippling the area, "The Lord does not permit His children to casually waste their bodies."

"But I'm already infected with the Plague, Priest."

Su Mian felt a shiver of gooseflesh as she was touched, murmuring, her Heartbeat quickening, a hint of cunning and pride flashing in her eyes.

"You're so close to me, be careful not to get stained."

She said, deliberately moving closer, feigning a cough twice.

But Gai Yin's aura showed no change; he stared at Su Mian's domineering face, gently placing a Kiss on her forehead.

Su Mian's Breath stalled, and for a moment she forgot to push him away.

"I will not abandon my child."

"Even if you're infected with the Plague, I will still care for you, just as before."

Again came that strange aura that made her shiver with excitement.

"Until you can no longer stand."

The desire to possess.

"Until you can only curl up in my arms."

So intense.

––

The Restraint named "Love," a Kiss both gentle and cruel.

Even a dull Su Mian could see it: the Priest's feelings for Evelyn were Forbidden, yet for some reason the Script never mentioned it.

To fight for the right to enter the City-State and to delay the Execution Deadline for Quarantine Zone players, she decided to use this emotion.

The Sanatorium's environment was far better than the Quarantine Zone; this place was a gathering of Nobles infected with the Plague.

They not only escaped the death penalty, but could live peacefully here until death, turning ethics and life into mere accessories of social rank.

Su Mian left the room; the Corridor linked to the hall, a scene entirely different from Millford Town's tawdry hues, more like a noble haven.

Along the curved Corridor laid with Persian Carpet, rooms with ajar doors leaked various sounds.

From the left drifted the off‑key tremolo of a Seven-stringed Zither, mingling with the hollow clicks of chess pieces striking a board; from the right wafted the scent of wine spiced with herbs.

A figure wrapped in brocade reclined on a soft couch, using an Ivory Smoking Pipe to inhale a tobacco that emitted a Cinnamon scent when burned.

"Miss Evelyn, if you wish to go somewhere, tell me and I will guide you."

The attendant stepped forward, draping a Wool Shawl over Su Mian.

Su Mian looked around, "Why is the Priest here?"

She spoke as if casually, silently observing the attendant's reaction; the attendant bowed his head, showing no expression.

"The Priest here prays for the sick, hoping they may recover soon."

"When will he return to the City-State?"

"Um… Miss Evelyn, I'm not sure either."

Su Mian nodded, waved the attendant away, and walked alone in the hall; a newspaper at the corner caught her eye.

She casually picked one up; the top‑left picture showed a plaza with a dozen injured patients, the newspaper printed in Latin.

4399 translated it for her: roughly, the Plague has spread to Vibens Main City, even soldiers are affected, and if not resolved soon, they may be unable to fight Taren.

The remainder were just some frivolous news items; Su Mian skimmed them casually, found nothing useful, and returned them to their place.

Night fell, and Su Mian, guided by the servant, changed out of her Quarantine Suit and put on the clothes Gai Yin had selected for her.

The maid dressed her in an ankle‑length Dark Dress, its wide, layered hem over a Victoria‑style waist‑cinching vest that highlighted her slender waist.

The Velvet Wide-brimmed Pointed Hat was slightly tilted, casting Su Mian's face in half‑shadow, mysterious yet delicate, drawing frequent glances from passersby.

Several people whispered, speculating about her background.

Su Mian hadn't expected the Priest's vision to be so ahead of its time; if she guessed correctly, this era hadn't yet seen Gothic fashion.

But that wasn't the point—she slipped into the Underground Wine Cellar, took a few bottles of Wine, and, unable to read the Latin on the labels, simply grabbed some of each variety.

Gai Yin's residence was on the third floor of the Sanatorium; her dress's hem was a bit cumbersome, so she tucked the Wine into the outermost layer of her skirt.

She looked like a joey that had just learned to walk.

"Knock—"

Su Mian gently knocked on the heavy Oak Door.

Steady footsteps sounded from within, and the door opened.

Gai Yin stood in the doorway, Candlelight flowing from behind him, encircling his body with a soft halo.

He wore Casual Clothes; the collar of his Dark Shirt was slightly open, shedding some of the solemnity of clergy and gaining a night‑time relaxation.

His gaze fell upon Su Mian.

"Evelyn?" his voice remained gentle, "Please come in."

Su Mian carefully stepped inside, the Wine bottles in her skirt's hem clinking softly, producing a crisp sound.